Inflatable toys



Dec. 15, 1959 J. H. LEMELSON 2,916,349

INFLATABLE TOYS Filed Feb. 16, 1954 INVENTOR. Jerome H.Lemelson United States Patefif INFLATABLE'TOYS JeromeHiLemelson, Staten Island, N.Y.

Application'February 1'6, 19545Srial No; 410,489

Claims. (Cl. 46-88) This'invention relates to. inflatable toysand, imparticulargto inflatable plastic ,fig'ure toys providedingassembly with rigid supporting means holding said'toyserect.

It is a primary object. of this inventionto provide'new and improved toys which comprise an inflatable portion and. a rigid member or assembly for supporting said .inflatable portionerect. and for coacting therewith to:..enh'ance the utility of said toy.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means for supporting and carrying an inflatable toy erect on a support which may be easily held in the hand.

Still' another object is to provide an improved structure for an inflatable toy which includes simple. means for suppprting an inflated bag erect .on-arod or stick by means of'Ta. pocket formed with and projecting from s-aid'bag Wh'erebysaid pocket may be formed of the same material o flwhich. said. inflatable bag is formed during a singular h'ea-t sealing operation enclosing said bag without the expenditure of labor to effect multiple sealing operations thereafter.. The sealing operation may be accomplished.

byan electronic sealing means betweendies.

Still another object is to provide new and'improved' means. for. supporting an inflated body, on.-a rigid elongated rod member or the like in -a manner such that said inflated body will be preventedfrom rotation about .said rod.-. member.

Yet. anotherv object is to provide an, improved struc-. ture. in an i inflated toy with means for securiuguan vin-, flatedbod'y on the end of a stick whereby saidtoy rnay be used? as-.a=simulated riding, toy orthe like.

The above brief description, as well-.as .further objects,

features and advantages of the present invention will be best appreciated,'by'reference ztov the". following detailed description which, makes reference. to. the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 shows in front elevation an inflatable toy assembly embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an isometric-view of the toy illustrated in Fig: 1;

Fig. 3 I is a" front elevation of another embodirnent of the present invention; and

Fig. 4=is an end view of Fig. 31

Referring now specifically to the drawing, Figs: 1 and 2 illustrate a toy in'the form of amock animal made out ofan inflated bag which is secured to a rigid assembly rodfor supporting or holding said inflatable bagerect. The-combination ofinflatedbag' and support permits said toy to be easily held and manipulated and provides a structure which enhances the versatilityof inflatable toys.

' Iiiflated body 12. consists ,ofsraaheadportion113extending to an elongated portion 13' projecting downward therefrom representing the neck and possibly part of the upper torso of an animal such as the illustrated elephant figure.

The inflatable body 12 may be made of two or more sheets of flexible plastic such as polyvinyl chloride which have been die cut to the desired contour and sealed in a circumscribing sealing line to provide an enclosure which,

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Patented Dec. 15, 1959 when' inflated by air pressure, will yield the desiredshapesuch as illustrated; Apocket 16 is" provided pro"- jecting' downward and opening at the'bottom'on the rear: surface of 'the inflatable body 12 for receiving the endl of the supporting member 20 as illustrated. Said'pocket 16 is formed by 'sealinganelongatedflap or strip of flexible vinyl plastic sheeting against the wall of body'12 with. a border-extending sealing line 18 which extends about the side and. top edges of said flap and forms .an-

enclosure, one wall' of which is provided by said flap.

andithe other by. the wall of body 12.. The dimensions of the pocket and sealing line .18'are .such that the end of the rod 20 will be. engaged therein in a. manner to.

permit it to hold and' support the body 12 upright thereon when saidrod is held erect and 'body 12 is inflated" and in a semi-rigid condition.

Further. support may be provided for the inflated body; 121by meansof a cross-member 22'which is rigidly afiixed to and projects laterally from the elongated rod member 20 near the top end thereof. Thecross-memberv22. is

illustrated as being secured to the inflatable body, 12'b'y,

meansof a pair of short strips 24 of flexible plastic sheeting which .loop over the extremities of "said cross-member and'are secured to the wall of the body 12 by means of,

welding. When the. body 12-is.inflated,.it is heldin a secure assembly with; the assemblyof members 20 and 22; The toy illustrated in Fig. 2may be straddled b'y a. child in the manner of a hobby-horse toy and carried across aroom in riding simulation by grasping the cross bar 22;

Topermit, the assembly 1010 be wheeled across a floor or surface an elongated cylindrical bearing.26. is secured. to the .lowenend of body 20 in whichashaft 28 is rotatable. Wheels 30 are mounted at the end of .said shaft.

The embodiment .ofFigs. 3 and.4 illustrates a further method of supporting an inflated body on a rigid rod or the like.. The toy ,10' consists of an elongated inflatable.

body 12' shown as being in the form of a mock elephant.. Theinflated body 12' consists of a head portion.v 12A extending from an elongated vneck portion 12B and.

ismade of at leastttwo sheetsof flexible plasticsuch as vinyl having a-circumscribing weld. line.14-" which totally encloses the figureportion of said toy suchv that it may. be inflated andmaintainedinflated to provide the general. shape .illustrated. Apocket HP is formed at the .rear. of the inflatable body portion 12 and is :utilized to engage theend ofa rigid support such asthe illustrated cylindricalrod 20. The pocketlZP maybe formed by cutting: thesheets. of flexible plastic, which are contour; welded to formthe inflated body 12', to a shape suchv that. when, the circumscribing weld line 14' is provided,

flexible:-elongated'gportionsof said sheets will, protrudebeyondsaid-rweld-line at the 'rearof said figure. Said,

flap; portions. 127a and .12'b. illustrated. in the end view, Fig; 4, maybe joined to form an elongated pocket which is open at the bottom; by the provision'of a further weld line 14" extending parallel to and along the border of the assembly of I2'a and 12'b andv across the top of said flap'portions 'butending'near the bottom of said assemblyprovidingan openingto 12F. The'dimensions of the pocket are-such that the rod 20* may be pushed into the opening at its lower end and will support said inflated body-12," when tlie'datter is inits semi-rigid'inflated' condition. The extension of the sealing line 14" acrossthe members or assemblies comprising part of the toy. A latitude of modification and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in certain instances some features of the invention will be used without a 'corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spiritand scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. An inflatable toy comprising in combination, a first section representing a toy figure made of an inflatable plastic bag, a rigid elongated rod member, one end of said rod member being slidably assembled with said' bag for holding it erect thereon when said bag is inflated,

said plastic bag being fabricated of a flexible heat scalable thermoplastic plastic and being made air-tight for inflation by a circumscribing sealing line welding sheets of said plastic together, an elongated pocket made of said plastic and integrally formed adjacent the inflatable section of said bag for engaging and holding a length of said rod member said pocket providing support for said bag on said rod member, and a crossbar aflixed to said rod member, means securing said crossbar to said inflatable bag to prevent the rotation of said rod and said bag when the latter is inflated.

2. A toy in accordance with claim 1 whereby the means for securing said crossbar to said inflatable bag comprises a flap of said flexible plastic extending over said crossbar and heat sealed to the walls of said bag whereby said flap holds said crossbar against said bag in a semi-rigid engagement therewith when the latter is inflated.

3. An inflatable toy assembly comprising in combination:

(a) An inflatable unit which is shaped atnd decorated to represent at least part of a toy figure,

(b) An elongated pocket unit integrally joined to said inflatable unit, and

(c) A rigid elongated rod member,

(d) The upper end portion of said elongated rod member slideably fitting into said elongated pocket in such a manner that said inflatable unit is mantained in an erect position on said rod member during normal use of the inflated toy assembly,

(2) Said inflatable toy assembly comprising two separate sheets of flexible heat scalable thermoplastic material, each of said sheets consisting of a figure section which has an outline generally corresponding to the shape of the toy figure and a pocket section which generally has the outline of an oblong half-pocket,

(f) Said two sheets being joined together by a welded sealing line which runs closely adjacent the entire outer border of said figure section so that the area within this outer border constitutes an air-tight inflatable unit,

(g) Said two sheets being also joined together by a welded sealing line which runs along a substantial portion, but not all of the outer border of said pocket section,

(11) Said figure section and said pocket section having a common sealing line along the inner longitudinal boundary portion of said pocket section,

(1') Said elongated pocket having an opening at its lower end which is large enough to receive, engage and hold one end portion of a rigid elongated rod member,

(j) Said elongated pocket being closed at its upper end sufficiently to prevent said rod member from sliding therethrough.

4. An inflatable toy assembly comprising in combination:

(a) An inflated unit which is shaped and decorated to represent at least part of a toy figure.

(b) Said inflated unit comprising two similarly shaped sections of flexible heat scalable thermoplastic material.

(c) An elongated pocket unit integrally joined to said inflated unit.

(d) A rigid elongated rod member.

(2) Said elongated pocket unit having an opening at its lower end which is large enough to receive, engage and hold one end portion of said rigid elongated rod member.

(1) Said elongated pocket unit being closed at its upper end sufliciently to prevent said rod member from sliding therethrough, the improvement which comprises:

(g) Said inflated unit having an elongated surface portion which is substantially free from longitudinal curvature, said elongated surface portion being at least as long as the longest dimension of said elongated pocket.

(It) Said elongated pocket unit being aligned with and integrally joined to said inflated unit along said elongated portion of the surface of the unit which is substantially,

free from longitudinal curvature.

5. A toy comprising the combination of an inflatable, member made of a flexible thermoplastic sheeting which' is shaped and decorated to resemble at least part of ,a' toy figure, means assembling said inflatable member in semi-rigid engagement with a rod member for supporting said inflatable member erect, when inflated, thereon, said assembly means comprising an oblong strip of flexible plastic sheeting welded to the exterior wall of said inflat rod member is held erect, a crossbar extending laterally from sa d rod member below said pocket, means securing said crossbar in semi-rigid engagement with said inflated body preventing rotation of said toy on said rod member, said crossbar securing means comprising flexible sheeting extending across said crossbar and welded on each side thereof to said inflatable member, there being wheels rotationally mounted at the other end of said rod,

member for engaging the ground as said rod member is carried oblique to the ground.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,901,150 Dorogi et al Mar. 14, 1933 2,317,595 Faris Apr. 27, 19431 2,375,425 McCoy May 8,1945 2,465,076 Englander Mar. 22, 1949 2,495,666 Taubert Jan. 24, 1950 2,630,321 Clyne Mar. 3, 1953 2,635,386 Guischard Apr. 21, 1953 2,637,139 Harris May 5, 1953 2,707,102 Wendt Apr. 26, 1955 2,719,659 Bowman Oct. 4, 1955 2,730,365 Godoy Ian. 10, 1956 2,764,766 Boyle et al. Oct. 2, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,266 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1951 

